Paddle Options

Next topic of discussion was..... Paddles. Kirk brought two different types of paddles that are typically used with fishing kayaks. Just like kayaks, paddles can be made from all different types of materials ranging from low end aluminum shafts and nylon blades up to carbon fiber shafts and fiberglass reinforced or even solid glass blades. Typically it's going to take 1,000 paddle strokes to propel you approximately one mile. If you buy a cheap 55 oz paddle at some big box store, you'll be exhausted before you know it. So please talk to a professional before you pick out a paddle. It's really very important.

One thing Kirk does NOT recommend is rectangular shaped paddle blades. Most of these are designed to be pretty flexible and that's not always a good quality. When you're paddling and the water resistance puts enough pressure on the end of the blade and causes it to flex several inches under water, then you're not getting the functionality you think you've paid for - it'll tire you out real fast.At this point he gave us an impromptu paddle lesson, instructing us to lean slightly forward and push the air-exposed half of the paddle with your arm as much, if not more, than you pull the submerged paddle blade. It's a 'pull and push' process that takes some practice to get used to but eventually results in a more relaxed paddle stroke. If you only use the pulling motion as you paddle each stroke then you're simply putting unnecessary strain on your neck and rotator cuff. Try to get into the habit of locking your elbows a bit as you paddle which forces you to use your back and tummy more than your arms.

Another small change: don't hold a paddle with your thumbs underneath, which is the most common (natural) grip for new paddlers. Nothing will cause a blister faster than a 'death grip' on the paddle shaft. He suggested we use more of a "hook" grip similar to the way you would hold a set of weights when you do a bench press. That hand position helps to 'lock' the wrists. And...if you want a little cushion under your hands to make the grip even more comfortable to hold, you can purchase paddle grips that just Velcro around the shaft so you can position them exactly where you want, and they look great, too. They add a little personalization to your gear - if you're into that sort of thing.

From there, he moved on to paddle length, a detail most people don't really take enough time to consider and it's really important. So what determines the best paddle length to use? Kirk says the paddler's height, and the width of the boat. He showed us two paddles for comparison. One was 220 centimeters in length (a little over 7 ft) and the other was 230 centimeters (a little over 7.5 ft) long. He even sells 240s and 250s but the point he was making was that a paddle in the wrong size results in more work and sore hands - it'll wear you out and nobody wants that. Again, that's why it's important to have a professional help you with this selection.

On a side note, he mentioned that some of the paddles he carries even have a measuring device built right onto the shaft. That's pretty handy when you want to measure a fish quickly. And others have a specially designed groove in the paddle blade that's designed to help retrieve a lure that's either stuck in a mangrove branch above or on an oyster rock below.

Safety / Life Vests / PFDs (Personal Flotation Device)

Next, we asked Kirk's opinion about PFDs (the new term for 'life jacket'). He personally doesn't wear one and he gave us several reasons: A) they're hot and that's doubly uncomfortable during the summer months in Florida, and B) he fishes in such sallow water that he's more concerned about cutting himself on oyster shell than he is about drowning. One of his main frustrations with this piece of safety wear, however, is their 'uni-sex' design. Men and women have entirely different physics. A man's height is primarily from the waist up. A woman's height is from the waist down. A 'one-size-fits-all' PFD just isn't going to cut it in this day and age. So over the past eleven years as a kayak business owner, he's seen a lot of improvements made in the design of PDFs and he carries, in his shop, what he calls true paddling jackets, which are opened on the sides and the foam in the back is cut up with only a bit of netting to pull the strap through so when you sit down, so it's comfortable.And on a side 'safety note' Kirk is a big advocate of a designated "meet-up" place and time before launch so that if several people are going out on the water together and eventually head in different directions, losing sight of one another around or behind a mangrove island, there is always a plan for meeting back up again in order to account for everyone in the group. We thought that was a GREAT idea!

Other Safety Equipment

As we continued the discussion of safety on the water, Kirk help up an interesting little gadget. It was a manually powered (as in no batteries) flashlight that's waterproof and floats. For every minute you crank the handle you get an hour of light. It gives you the option of a single beam of light (which lasts up to 6 hours), a triple beam (max of 4 hours), or a flashing beacon style. AND...It's practically indestructible. He has one in each of his vehicles and vessels and travels with one, too. Pretty nifty little thing!Oh, and by the waHis "other" piece of safety equipment is his Ruger .38 LCR

LUNCH

So we were curious about what Kirk typically takes out on the water for a day of fishing. It's always cool to ask simple questions like that because you learn different tactics and strategies for keeping food cool and safe during a hot day. Kirk, we learned, is an "on the water early / off the water early" kind of guy and doesn't like to fish when it's really hot. His lunch box consists of 2-3 granola bars and a few frozen water bottles. The night before, he empties out a little bit of water and then puts them in the freezer overnight. In the morning, they're frozen and he puts the caps back on. They act as ice-packs for his lunch and he can have ice cold water as they thaw throughout the morning. Of course Murphy's Law is that the minute you stop to eat or drink anything, the line you had out in the water starts screaming! Sometimes you can be out there all day and never take (or have) time to eat!

Bait

We also learned that Kirk is more of an artificial lure kind of guy but when he does use any type of live bait, it'll be shrimp. He uses a six pack, soft side cooler with a couple of packs of blue ice at the bottom and a damp paper towel to cover. Toss the shrimp on top of the damp paper towel and they'll go dormant for a few hours. This storage style keeps the shrimp from freezing to death but makes them easier to handle initially. He cautioned us to hold on to those 'dormant' shrimp when putting them on a hook, though, because the second they feel that pin prick, they "wake up" and can quickly pop themselves right out of your hand and into the water before you know it - and that's money (and a fish) lost. He repeated a little trade secret that Capt. Kyle Messier mentioned to us several months ago, too, and that was Lizardfish make great bait, so if you hook one accidentally, cut it into a few pieces and see if you don't hook up on a redfish once or twice. And don't make the mistake of using small pieces of bait on a small hook to catch big fish. Use big pieces of bait skewered on a 5/0 circle hook if you want big fish!! Plus, a larger hook is a heck of a lot easier to remove than a small hook is.